From literature sources, describe the molecular hybridization in methane and the bond angle.
In methane (CH4), the carbon atom is sp3 hybridized. This means that the four valence electrons of carbon (2s and 2p) are rearranged to form four new orbitals called sp3 hybrid orbitals. Each of these hybrid orbitals holds one electron and is oriented in a tetrahedral arrangement.
The process of hybridization occurs as follows:
1. The carbon atom has two electrons in the 2s orbital and two electrons in the 2p orbitals.
2. To form the sp3 hybrid orbitals, one of the 2s electrons gets promoted to the empty 2p orbital, giving a total of four unpaired electrons in the outer energy level.
3. Then, these four unpaired electrons are used to form four equivalent sp3 hybrid orbitals.
The bond angle in methane is approximately 109.5 degrees. This angle can be explained by the tetrahedral arrangement of the four sp3 hybrid orbitals around the carbon atom. The four orbitals repel each other to achieve a geometry with maximum bond angles and minimum repulsion, resulting in a nearly perfect tetrahedral shape. Therefore, each of the four hydrogen atoms in methane is positioned at an angle of 109.5 degrees relative to each other.
Molecular hybridization refers to the process in which atomic orbitals combine to form hybrid orbitals. In the case of methane (CH4), the carbon atom undergoes sp3 hybridization.
In methane, the carbon atom forms four sigma bonds with four hydrogen atoms. The electron configuration of the carbon atom in the ground state is 1s²2s²2p². To form four equivalent bonds, one s and three p orbitals of the carbon atom hybridize to create four sp3 hybrid orbitals.
The process of hybridization involves combining one s orbital (2s) and three p orbitals (2px, 2py, 2pz). These orbitals rearrange to form four hybrid orbitals called sp3 orbitals, having approximately 25% s-character and 75% p-character. Each sp3 orbital enters into overlap with the 1s orbital of a hydrogen atom, forming four sigma (σ) bonds.
The arrangement of the four sp3 hybrid orbitals around the carbon atom is tetrahedral. The bond angle in methane is approximately 109.5 degrees. This angle arises due to the repulsion between electron pairs in the hybridized orbitals, leading to the most energetically stable tetrahedral arrangement.